Liberation
by Nara Bluestar
Summary: Despite the ravages of the Burning Legion, the Mag’har have carved a niche for themselves in Outland. When the chance for unexpected peace comes, will they take it or will they smell a traitor? Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Well, so far I've gotten no actual "no, please, no more!" responses on my profile poll, so I guess I'm going to assume there might be a few people out there still interested (besides me- I happen to have a lot of fun writing about these two!).

As per usual, I don't own WoW or any of the NPCs I use, but I do claim my own characters and story. Thanks for reading, people!

Chronology here is (of course): In a Dark Place, Joined Lives, Secrets and Lies, Liberation.

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* * *

Hyara giggled. Galmak was awfully cute when he was confused. 

"No, silly, not there…" She pushed his head gently. "_There_."

"But I thought you said you liked…"

"I do. But that's even better… ooh! Mmhmm…"

There was a sudden rustling of a curtain and Zarguhl's head appeared. Hyara squealed; Galmak jumped.

"Aw, shit," the Mag'har said as he ducked back out.

Hyara clapped a hand to her face and moaned. "Light, I'll never look him in the eye again."

Galmak chuckled. "Don't worry. Orcs don't think of it the same way you draenei do. He's probably forgotten already. But I guess I should go find out what was so damned important…" After a moment Galmak slipped outside the curtain that cordoned off their tiny "room" from the rest of the Garadar inn and its other rooms. He returned shortly looking puzzled and a little worried.

"Greatmother Geyah has asked that we come see her," he said.

" 'We'?" Hyara asked in surprise. As far as any but a very few here knew, Hyara was a slave and therefore of no importance.

Galmak shrugged. "That's what Zarguhl said."

As they left the inn Hyara clasped a small iron collar around her neck. Galmak loathed it; Hyara didn't much care for it herself, but it was an easy and visible way of designating her a slave and therefore under somebody's protection when she was in an area controlled by the Horde, regardless of whether Galmak happened to be close at her side. Ironically, the collar gave her greater freedom to move around a Horde village without running into the trouble she would have otherwise. Since she didn't actually have a true brand there wasn't any other way for her to prove her status as a slave.

They made their way across Garadar through Nagrand's mild afternoon sunlight. This was more a town than a village, the center of the Mag'har culture and the Horde's seat of power in Nagrand. The Mag'har population had been growing here for decades now and Hyara had been amazed at her first sight of the place: no settlement she'd seen yet in Outland could match its size or lively activity. There were various Horde races everywhere, but above all were the floods of brown orcs who made their homes here.

They walked the wide dirt streets and wound their way between the squat clay houses until they reached a small round house near the center of town with an honor guard standing sharp-eyed at the doorway. Hyara hung back a few paces and Galmak approached the guard.

"I was told the Greatmother wanted to see me. And my slave." Galmak gestured toward Hyara.

The guard nodded and stepped aside. Clearly they were expected.

Greatmother Geyah, respected elder and leader of her people, sat propped at the edge of a bed draped with hides and blankets. She had been ill for a very long time now, but the strength of her spirit kept life strong within her and her dark eyes gazed out with wisdom and clarity. She skimmed over Hyara in a brief inspection before locking eyes with Galmak as the couple entered the little hut. The green orc steeled himself under her piercing gaze and bowed respectfully. More out of an instinctive feeling than knowledge of proper custom, Hyara knelt on the floor and lowered her eyes. Here was a woman of great wisdom and power. Hyara felt humbled, her status as a slave notwithstanding.

The Greatmother addressed Galmak. "Thank you for coming," she said in a soft but unwavering voice.

He shifted uneasily. "Of course, Greatmother. There was no question of not coming if you asked it."

Her eyes narrowed and she cocked her head slightly, examining him. "Ah, but you do not owe your allegiance to me. Your loyalty lies with my grandson, the Warchief Thrall, leader of the new Horde."

"That's true, Greatmother. But he honors you, and by extension, I honor you."

"Then I would ask why you have done me the dishonor of deceiving me."

Galmak started; Hyara's eyes flew upward to rest on the Greatmother.

"Greatmother, I-" Galmak began, but she cut him off angrily.

"And still you would play games. You know exactly what I speak of. Who is this draenei?" She spat the word as if it were poison. "She is too well-treated for a slave; I have seen the way your Horde treats slaves. What mischief do you bring her here for? We Mag'har have suffered enough at the hands of the Broken. I will not allow one of their kin to cause further trouble for my people."

Galmak's mouth hung open in shock and consternation. He'd never anticipated this turn of events. It looked as though they had a choice: either tell her nothing and let her accusations stand, or throw themselves on her mercy. Now he too knelt in front of Geyah. "Greatmother, I never intended any dishonor," he said earnestly. "I mean no harm here, to your people or to anyone else."

"You are lucky that Zarguhl's honor protects you here. He is still one of us despite the transformation he has been through; his heart and honor are still Mag'har. He asked you here in trust and friendship, and for that reason I give you this chance to explain. I suggest you speak the truth."

Galmak swallowed. He glanced at Hyara, but she was staring wide-eyed at the Greatmother. This woman was honorable, but there was deep hatred here for the Broken, a hatred which spilled over to the draenei who had naturally allied themselves with some of their fallen kindred. Zarguhl hadn't protested when the two hunters had chosen to maintain the façade of Hyara's slavery here, a fact which now made Galmak uneasy. Had the shaman known that his people wouldn't accept the truth?

He forged ahead. "The truth… the truth is dangerous for us, Greatmother. For me and Hyara," he added hastily. "There are some things that every people finds difficult to accept. My own people, and most of the Horde, would find this truth difficult to accept. So we have learned to keep it hidden. We regret that necessity."

Geyah crossed her arms. "And what is this truth you must keep hidden?" she asked, but her eyes told him that she must already know.

"Hyara is my mate, Greatmother," he said.

"I see. Then I am relieved at least that you spoke the truth when you said you mean us no harm. The consequences would have been dire for both of you if you had. As to this other…" She put a hand to her head and for the first time showed a hint of weariness. "As I said, you are here at Zarguhl's invitation and I will not dishonor him by reversing that. Leave me now, wayward son of Azeroth. You are a very different people from us, despite the honor and courage I have seen in my grandson."

They both rose and left silently at her dismissal. Galmak steered them back toward the inn, his feet falling in long, angry strides. Even Hyara with her long legs had to trot a bit to keep up. She looked at him sidelong, but knew better than to speak. She herself was seething, her heart aching for Galmak. Geyah's words had cut him deeply. He'd hoped to learn from the Mag'har, maybe find something of his heritage here. _They reject him because of me._

They reached the inn and Galmak ripped aside the curtain to their room. He knelt and began stuffing items back in his packs.

"We're leaving," he said as he straightened and buckled on his chestpiece.

"Galmak-"

"I'm not staying somewhere you're not even respected as much as a _slave_," he snarled.

There was no arguing with him, so she gathered up her own belongings. "We'll have to find Zarguhl and let him know," she sighed. Galmak nodded and left without another word. Hyara finished her packing and sat with her chin resting on her knees. She was the cause of this trouble for him. It was the first time in their years together that she felt as though she were a burden holding him back from what he truly wanted. She rubbed her knuckles against her forehead. _Maybe I should leave for a while._ She could go to Telaar, the Kurenai town here. She would be welcome there. Galmak could stay in Garadar without her around as a source of tension.

Galmak appeared once more in the doorway of the inn. Hyara shouldered their bags and joined him out front where he'd already brought their mounts around, saddled and ready. Palla trotted to Galmak's side. Hyara searched her mind for Gink's presence and sensed him waiting just beyond the town gates. She sighed and rubbed her head again. It was rare as rain in the Blasted Lands that her husband was in a foul mood, but when he was…

They traveled out of Garadar and set out down the road east. Nagrand's grassy openness spread out around them, Outland's hazy sun pouring down in soft splendor in the late afternoon. The tall grass swayed around them, trees whispered in the breeze. It was a beautiful day for such a black humor. Galmak remained silent as they rode and Hyara had no desire to disturb his thoughts.

Finally she decided he'd had enough time to brood. "Well… where are you taking us, love?"

He shrugged. "Terokkar Forest, I guess."

Hyara raised her eyebrows. "Oh, really. Was I consulted at some point?"

He pulled his wolf to a sharp halt. "Alright, we'll stay here. Right here, until you tell me where to go. I'm waiting; say the word."

Hyara remained silent, glaring at him. She crossed her arms. Wanted to behave like a child, did he? She wheeled her horse abruptly and galloped off the side of the road to a copse of ancient trees. She dismounted and slowly and deliberately began unpacking the things she would need to set up a small camp for the night.

Galmak's wolf padded over. "Now what is this," he said irritably. "It's nowhere near dark yet. There's no damn reason to stop yet."

"Oh, I don't think that's right," she shot back. "There's a very good reason for _me_ to stop. You are insufferable when you get like this. You just be on your way and maybe I'll catch up when you start feeling sociable again."

"Hyara, don't be ridiculous. I'm not leaving you here."

"I do wish you would, Master," she said nastily, but regretted it immediately. She sank down and pressed her back against a tree. Tears slid down her cheeks and she sniffed. "I'm sorry."

Galmak jumped off his wolf and stood for a moment looking down at her. He slapped his palm against a trunk. "Fuck. I'm sorry too," he said. He sat down and put an arm around her. "It's not fair when I take things out on you," he sighed.

She smiled wanly and nuzzled her face against his neck, the stubble on his chin scratching her cheek. "At least you don't do it often."

"We'll just stay here tonight. No rush to get anywhere."

"No…" she sighed. "No rush." But she was considering what she needed to do.

At dusk, Hyara volunteered to take the first watch. "I'm not tired yet; I won't sleep," she told Galmak.

She kissed him and arranged the blanket around him lovingly, hoping her face wouldn't betray what she intended. Nagrand's soft night noises surrounded her as she settled by the fire to wait. A bird swooped low in the leaves overhead, startling her for a moment with a sharp cry that went unanswered in the darkness. Galmak grunted and stirred, then his breathing slowed and Hyara could tell he was deep in sleep. Gink stretched and rose at her side. He melted outside the pool of firelight, and she knew he was telling Palla to take over the watch. Like most hunters Galmak had trained himself to be a light sleeper, but Hyara could be silent as a doe in the forest when she needed to be. She slipped quietly away, leading her horse with soothing whispers.

Out from among the trees the wind blew cool, sliding through the grass and across Hyara's bare arms. The soft blue-white light of the stars bathed her and she inhaled the lingering sun-soaked smell of the earth. Galmak would wake, hopefully later rather than sooner, and he would come after her. But she would have a sufficient head start that she would make it to Telaar, and then he wouldn't have any choice but to return to Garadar. She'd send Gink out to let him know she was safe. She bit her lip and brushed back a tear threatening to slide from the corner of her eye.

_Am I doing the right thing, Gink?_

The cat shrugged mentally. _His heritage is important to him. It was his biggest reason for coming to Outland. He's going to be awfully angry though, you know…_

_But at least I won't have stopped him from learning all he can here._

_He doesn't see it that way._

_Maybe he doesn't, but that's the way it is. You're sure Palla won't…?_

_No, she won't. We try to stay out of these things and let you two do what you need to._

She clicked to her horse, urging it to a trot. With luck she would have most of the night to put a good stretch of road behind her, but she knew the fierce precision with which Galmak could command his timber wolf and the feats of speed he could coax from it.

Night wore on and the sandy road wove steadily beneath her horse's hooves. Gravel and rocks flowed by, streaming brown and gold in endless twisting lines, silvered by moonlight and nether… Hyara jerked upright and realized she'd been dozing in the saddle. She had an impression of a just-departed thought from Gink lingering in her mind. Suddenly she saw his ghostly form streaking toward her from the left of the road and he was harrying at her horse's heels, snapping and snarling. The horse neighed in alarm and surged forward. Hyara shook off her drowsiness with some difficulty and put her own efforts into urging the horse.

_What's wrong…_ she started to ask her cat, but it became apparent enough very quickly. The skeletal shape of an undead horse galloped out of the darkness from behind a stand of trees. Another followed closely, then the steel glint of an armored horse. The riders were behind, but closing quickly and moving to either side to flank her. Hyara crouched low in the saddle and begged her tired horse for a last burst of speed. Something hit her in the back, spreading icy cold between her shoulder blades and creeping like a paralyzing frost throughout her body. The breath left her in a gasp and she felt her grip on the reins slacken. Her horse screamed shrilly, then stumbled clumsily to a halt as it too was hit with a spell. Hyara slumped sideways and tumbled to the road. She lay with her face mashed painfully into the sharp gravel and one arm twisted beneath her. Her hooves, the only part of her that seemed capable of moving, scrabbled weakly in the dirt. She saw booted feet approaching; somewhere back down the road blue light flickered. The feet stopped before her; a hand reached down and shoved her roughly onto her back and she looked up into the glowing green eyes of a sandy-haired blood elf. His hair was tousled and he wore only a few pieces of blood knight's armor over wrinkled clothing, strapped on haphazardly as if in a rush. His eyes traveled over Hyara, pausing briefly at her neck.

"Get out of the way, Morios," a voice called.

The paladin straightened and turned back toward his comrades. "Wait, don't," he called. "I think we've found ourselves an escaped slave here."

_Oh, shit…_ Hyara swallowed and now became aware of the cold iron still encircling her neck. That damned collar. She'd grown so used to wearing it that she'd forgotten to take it off when they were safely away from Garadar.

The blue flickering light died away somewhere out of her vision and she heard more footsteps crunching toward her across the gravel. Tentatively she wriggled her fingers and found that the stiffness and cold were beginning to leave her body. The paladin's hands closed around her upper arms and hauled her to sit upright. Two Forsaken stared at her with faintly glimmering eyes.

The mage moved closer to peer at her from behind stringy brown hair. He nodded. "Yeah. That's a slave's collar."

The other undead crossed her bony arms. "She looks pretty good for a slave. She's got some decent armor."

"Stolen, maybe?" the paladin said. "She must be a slave. Why wear a slave collar otherwise? She's in an awful hurry to get somewhere late at night too."

"Well, damn," the mage gave a rattling sigh. "I suppose that means we can't kill her."

The woman smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Not unless you're an idiot, Mateo. There'll be reward money for returning her, you can bet, a slave this valuable." She knelt in front of Hyara and grabbed her arms. "What is your master's name?" the rogue asked. Hyara feigned confusion. The woman shook her impatiently. "Your master. Master!" Hyara shook her head. The rogue made a noise of disgust and rose. "Worthless bitch doesn't know orcish. What's the use of a slave you can't even communicate with?"

The men looked at each other and laughed; the rogue snorted disgustedly again and walked back to her horse. Hyara felt a headache coming on. She had to get out of this somehow… but she was damned if she'd fess up Galmak's name and get carted back to him like a wayward sack of grain that had fallen off the back of a wagon. She really was slipping if she couldn't even make it a half-day's ride through unfamiliar territory without the Horde getting the best of her.

_Well, you don't usually fall asleep in the saddle_, Gink thought dryly at her from somewhere in the shadows nearby.

She sighed as Morios dragged her to her hooves and started binding her hands behind her back. _Where did they come from, anyway?_

_Camped off the road.__ Whoever was on watch heard you and a few of them came after you. It's not just these __three,__ there are five more back at the camp._

_Five more?_ Well, that did make escape a little trickier.

_Hyara… you won't just tell them…?_

_No!_

Gink left it at that. When his mistress dug her hooves in there wasn't much that could move her.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

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A/N: _kanrethad_ means "liberated" as well as "survivors" in draenei.

Also... nice reviews make me happy!

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_I'm sorry for all that happened yesterday. I know I'm the cause. Please, love, go back to Garadar and learn what you can__ about your clan__ from the Mag'har. I don't want to stand in the way. I've gone to __Telaar,__ you don't need to worry about me. When you're ready, come for me and send Palla in to find me. But don't come until you're truly ready._

_I'm yours always. Hyara_

When Galmak had exhausted his extensive repertoire of curses in orcish he switched to Common and ran through them again. He stuffed the note in a pocket and kicked savagely at a rock. She'd run off in the middle of the night with him none the wiser.

"Palla!" he roared aloud, and the wolf materialized from behind a tree. She looked at him, then plopped down on her haunches as if hunkering down to weather a storm.

_Why in all hells__ didn't you wake me!_ he fumed.

She sniffed. _It was her decision. I didn't need to interfere._

_I'm telling you now that you _did _need to interfere, and you_ will _interfere next time, if something like this happens again. I don't give a damn about any kind of agreement you've made with Gink, or any code of conduct you've got going on here. Next time, tell me!_

He'd gotten his wolf saddled now, despite the fury and worry that made his hands shake. Galmak leapt to the timber wolf's back and streaked off into the predawn blackness. Palla shook herself limber and dashed after him with a howl.

* * *

The earliest light of dawn found the little camp stirring sleepily. Hyara groaned involuntarily at the stiffness in her arms and legs; sleeping trussed up like a hog for slaughter was highly uncomfortable.

A battered tin plate rattled down inches from her nose. She turned her head slightly and saw the rogue standing over her, skin pale and mottled greyish in the early light.

"Eat!" the rogue said too loudly and mimed eating.

Hyara glared. Did she look stupid? She struggled to sit up and finally managed it. The rogue stood watching her. Hyara shrugged and wriggled her arms, still bound behind her. The Forsaken turned and walked away, and Hyara stared after her. That rogue's brain must have rotted out of her skull. Hyara looked down at the plate and sighed. No breakfast for her after all. She scooted a few feet backward and leaned against a tree, watching the preparations to leave. They really had quite a camp to pack up here; it looked as if they'd been here several days. She wondered what they'd been doing all that time. The mage named Mateo appeared to be arguing with an orc about something, gesticulating exaggeratedly so that the loose sleeves of his runed black robe billowed around him. The runes flashed impressively in the sunlight, casting prismatic light across the ground. Hyara smirked. Somebody was having fun showing off nice new robes.

There was a sudden sound in the trees behind her and she jumped.

_Gink?_

_I'm __here_, came his reply from a short distance to the north.

Hyara craned her neck to see behind her and reached out with her senses. There was someone… no, two people crouched nearby. Her eyes flitted back to the camp. There were the three from last night and… yes, eight people, all accounted for. "Who's there?" she whispered. Her heart was jumping nervously.

"Don't move," a voice hissed back in draenei.

There was the sound of a muttered spellcast and the air in front of her shimmered. She was now looking at the Horde camp through a hazy curtain. Movement seemed slow and indistinct; colors swirled lazily. She felt an arm slip around her waist and then she was pulled backward into the trees. Something soft came down over her head, blacking her vision before she could get a look at these new friends or foes. She struggled and a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Stay quiet," the voice whispered again.

She considered making a commotion, but she didn't relish the idea of being returned to the Horde. These people were speaking draenei; what's more, they were speaking unaccented, native draenei. Hyara made a snap decision to take her chances and see what would happen. Practically anything would be better than getting herded back to Galmak like a cow that had wandered into somebody else's pasture.

Someone picked her up and slung her over a shoulder. There was a short walk spent with her tail waving indecorously in the air; then the bonds around her ankles were cut away and she felt herself being lifted high and set down on the back of a huge animal… It was an elekk, she realized with a little jolt of delight; she hadn't gotten to ride an elekk in years. As the animal started forward she jostled and tipped precariously to the side, but hands steadied her from behind.

After a while a deep voice spoke quietly behind her. "I apologize for the secrecy. We have many enemies here and we must keep ourselves hidden."

Hyara tugged experimentally at the bonds around her wrists, but they were still uncomfortably tight. "And how exactly do I fit in? I haven't decided yet whether I wish I were still back there with the Horde."

Her latest rescuer –or captor - chuckled. "We mean you no harm. We'll always help one of our own who is in need."

The elekk tilted dangerously forward, descending a steep hill, but once again hands kept Hyara from sliding out of the saddle. The air smelled cooler and wetter as they descended. Even through the cover shrouding her head Hyara could tell that full direct sunlight had not yet reached down here. They leveled out once again and now the sound of rushing water grew loud as they continued. Hyara sensed high walls closing around them for a brief time, as if they passed through a narrow bottleneck in a canyon, and then suddenly the stranger spoke again behind her.

"We've arrived," he said. "I must extract a promise from you; forgive me. We are a peaceful people and we will not harm you as long as you do nothing to harm us. Do I have your word?"

"Yes," Hyara replied. "You have my word, as long as you speak the truth."

Her blind was pulled away and she blinked and squinted in the sudden light. High canyon walls towered above a small stream gurgling out of a cave in the rocky wall several yards away. Just ahead a screen of grey-barked trees dipped their branches and leaves almost to the ground, imperfectly obscuring a tiny village. The houses were small but neatly built of some honey-colored wood, with here and there a chunk of carved grey stone or a purple crystal giving testimony to the villagers' use of salvaged draenei architecture. A few villagers were out in the late morning. At the head of the stream a woman dipped a bucket, staring openly at Hyara with a mix of wariness and curiosity. _Broken.__ But not Kurenai_. Who were these people?

* * *

The undead woman laughed wildly. "That one. She's a slippery bitch, you won't find her."

"You have seen her then?" Galmak leaned forward in the saddle earnestly.

A blood elf eyed the woman with annoyance and urged his charger toward the orc. "Yes, we caught her last night a ways down the road south. She was wearing a slave's collar so we didn't kill her, lucky for you."

"Didn't catch her for long though, did we?" The rogue cackled again. "I gave her breakfast this morning and then when I came back, poof! she was gone. She was all tied up snug too, hands and big, clunky hooves. Left her horse, too. Suppose you'll be wanting it back?" She looked at Galmak slyly.

He growled and fumbled in a pouch for some gold. He handed it over without bothering to look at how much he'd pulled out and the rogue took it greedily.

"What do you mean, she was just gone? She escaped? Did you search around for her?" The orc struggled not to sound too frantic.

"We did search for her, but none of us is skilled at tracking," the paladin answered. "We couldn't find any sign of her, I'm sorry." He shrugged in dismissal and the group trotted on their way to Garadar.

Galmak cursed in frustration, truly worried now. Hyara had obviously gotten a lot more than she'd bargained for on the road to Telaar. How had she vanished without a trace right under the noses of eight fully awake and alert people? And damned if he wanted to think about what would have happened if she hadn't been wearing that collar. He jumped off his wolf and fastened the horse's reins to his wolf's saddle. It would slow him down, but it couldn't be helped. Hyara's packs looked like they'd been rifled pretty thoroughly, but that also couldn't be helped; there was no time to worry about it. He urged his wolf forward in the fastest lope the trailing horse could manage.

_Alright, have you picked up her scent yet?_ he asked Palla.

_I'm picking up Gink loud and clear._

Galmak grinned a little in spite of himself. Palla thought cats smelled pretty foul and didn't trouble to hide her mild disgust. Hyara had told him before that Gink admitted to the same sentiment about wolves.

They pushed on southwest down the road. The morning was wearing thin; the full bloom of noon was beginning to settle in warm sunlight on Galmak's shoulders when Palla yapped and bolted into a stand of trees some distance off the road. Galmak pulled the reins and dived off the road after her.

There was clear evidence of the group's recently abandoned campsite next to the grove Palla had disappeared into. The trees were thick and ancient, closely spaced with glossy leaves drooping from low branches. It was almost a small woods, really; plenty of cover to conceal…

_Elekk?_ he asked in disbelief.

Palla seemed uncertain herself. _I think so… It's very hard to tell. The scents are all confused __somehow,__ nothing seems to match up quite right._

Galmak took a look around for himself. He could see signs that a few large animals had been here not too many hours distant, but when he tried to follow their trail out of the trees he could see what Palla meant. The trail the animals had left faded abruptly, then seemed to spring up in several different places at once, all heading different directions. He followed them all one by one, but each also faded and diverged. Some powerful concealing magic was at play here, completely befuddling his normally excellent tracking skills. Galmak stalked over the ground again like a tethered animal, examining it for the hundredth time, hoping to find some way to unravel the enchantment or perhaps some clue he'd missed. He growled and reined in the panicked rage he felt building in his chest.

_I think I've got it now._

He dashed over to where Palla was nosing through the grass.

_I can still smell Gink. Mostly his scent is mixed up in the warding magic and is all confused too, but there are a few places…_ She trotted several dozen yards east. _There are a few places where he seems to weave outside the influence of the magic, as if he's following at a distance and it doesn't always reach him._

Galmak leapt onto his timber wolf. _Lead on, then. Whoever this is has a__ hell of a__ surprise coming if they think they can kidnap my wife and keep me from finding her._

* * *

_Who are these people?_ Hyara turned in puzzlement to look at her "captor" sitting behind her on the elekk.

He seemed to sense her question. "We are Murkblood. You don't need to fear us," he added hastily. "We are the Murkblood who escaped our slavery to the naga in Zangarmarsh." He drew a knife from his belt and sawed expertly through the ropes at Hyara's wrists. "I apologize for leaving the bonds," he said ruefully. "It seemed necessary until we arrived here." Soft green light rose around his fingers and traveled into her wrists, soothing her raw skin.

Hyara flexed her fingers and rubbed her wrists gingerly. "You… have nothing to do with the other Murkblood in Nagrand? The ones who…" She was remembering the Mag'har's stories of Sunspring Post.

"No. I tell you we're Murkblood so you will understand where we come from. We don't call ourselves that anymore. We are simply the Kanrethad now. I am Oloru. That is my brother, Remta." He jerked his thumb back over his shoulder toward Hyara's other rescuer, who sat another elekk behind them. Remta nodded gravely, white hair swaying around his face. As Hyara returned the nod, a movement caught her eye and she smiled to see Gink stretching lazily and rolling in the grass. If he was allowing himself to relax she surely had nothing to fear here.

"I'm Hyara," she said. "Thank you for your help."

Oloru lowered his head in a brief bow. "As I said, we will always help another draenei in need."

He slid off the elekk and Hyara followed. She was amazed at his height, now that she stood next to him; most of the Broken she'd seen were slightly shorter than their draenei cousins. But Oloru towered over her, his eyes glowing down at her with a soft blue-white luminescence so similar to her own. His skin was a pale blue, almost white, and his stringy dark hair was gathered into a knot high on his head. Hyara suppressed a shudder as she realized that the tentacles emerging from his back must be prehensile; they were slowly curling and uncurling at the ends. Oloru made for an intimidating presence, and Hyara was glad that he seemed to be a friend.

She followed him a little hesitantly as he started toward the village. "What do you call this place?" she asked.

He paused and smiled. "Karkun Kamil. Because that's what it is for us, after so many years in slavery. We have finally found a place of hidden peace." He glanced at her. "You must understand well the desire for freedom from those who would make your life miserable."

Hyara's hand flew involuntarily to the collar around her neck. "I do understand that, yes," she said quietly. "But I'm afraid this collar has given you a false impression." She reached to the back of her neck and pressed the lock she had modified into a simple clasp, removing the collar. "I'm not actually a slave. Although I suppose it was good the Horde thought so; it probably saved my life last night when they caught me."

Oloru eyed the collar. "Ah… Well, if you have no wish to tell me why you wear that, I will not ask."

"It's… complicated." Hyara smiled. "And yet very simple. I'm sorry. I'm making no sense."

The Broken chuckled, a deep rumbling that startled her. "It makes no difference. If you are fleeing someone, you are welcome here. We understand. Regardless, you are our guest and you are free to go at any time, but I'm afraid you will have to leave in the same way you arrived. We cannot risk discovery."

They reached one of the small houses and Oloru held the door open for Hyara, then ducked in after her. The room was small and simple, with very little furniture. There were cushions arranged on the floor for sitting and a tiny wooden table held a pitcher of water, a few clay dishes, and other odds and ends. A female Broken rose from where she had been sitting on a cushion near a window. Hyara stared in fascination at the woman's hair. It was long and thick, shimmering in an auburn braid down to her waist. The woman carefully laid a thick tome on the floor by the cushion, then crossed the room.

"Kereth, this is Hyara," Oloru said. "She has need of our hospitality for a time. Hyara, this is my wife, Kereth."

Hyara bowed her head and tried not to let her nervousness show. Of course she'd had contact with Broken before; there were many who had followed Velen to Azeroth just as her own family had, and Farseer Nobundo was a prominent and well-respected figure in Exodar. But this was an entire society composed only of Broken, and she didn't know their customs or much of their history. Female Broken were something of a rarity too; it was a sad truth that not many women had survived the awful form-twisting corruption that the Burning Legion had unleashed on so many draenei.

"Your husband rescued me from a band of Horde. I'm very grateful," Hyara said.

Kereth smiled. "You are welcome here. We were all once captives ourselves." She motioned toward the cushions and Hyara sat.

"Are you hungry?" Kereth asked. Hyara's stomach grumbled as she remembered the breakfast she hadn't been able to eat, and she nodded. The woman disappeared into an adjoining room for a moment and came back with an assortment of fruits and bread on a platter, which she laid on the floor before Hyara, who smiled gratefully. She was famished.

"If I can ask… how long have you been here? I've heard no mention of any Krokul in Nagrand besides the Kurenai and those at Sunspring Post," Hyara said.

"The Kanrethad have lived here for years now, since the naga's power in Zangarmarsh began to wane," Oloru answered. "We like to believe that our uprising contributed to their fall. It's good to know that there are still no rumors of us in Nagrand… There are many who would wish us dead because of what the Murkblood here have done."

Hyara frowned. "I don't understand. Why do you hold yourselves apart from the Kurenai? Surely they'd welcome you in Telaar?"

Kereth shook her head with a sigh, her braid bobbing at her back. "That is not the problem. We don't doubt the welcome we would receive in Telaar. But if we joined with the Kurenai we would lose all chance at peace with the Mag'har and the Horde. We have no quarrel with the Horde, nor with the Mag'har, despite what they would feel about us."

"So we have kept ourselves hidden all these years in hopes that the time might come when we can live peacefully with all but those who are genuinely evil," Oloru finished.

"If only," Hyara murmured.

"And yourself…" Oloru spoke politely, but his curiosity was plain. "You're not truly a slave… but you are fleeing from something?"

Hyara twirled the iron collar in her fingers, considering. She owed them some sort of explanation; Oloru had gone out of his way to help her. "I suppose I am fleeing someone, yes." She hated how that sounded, but it was the truth. She was fleeing him for his own good. "I wear this collar sometimes because it protects me in certain situations. I was trying to get to Telaar last night but I was careless… I dozed off as I was riding and that band of Horde caught me."

"They would have killed you if they hadn't recognized you as a slave." Oloru nodded. "Well, you are welcome here as long as you wish to stay, Hyara. Whomever you are fleeing won't find you here."

Hyara smiled and nodded her thanks, but there was sadness in her eyes.

"I appreciate very much what you've done for me," she said. "But I will need to go on to Telaar. The person I'm running from needs to know that I'm safe there. He'll go there to find me, and if I'm not there… I can't do that to him."

Oloru exchanged a glance with his wife. "Of course… Forgive me, but what is the good of running if you intend to let him catch you?"

"He won't catch me. He can't… he can't follow me into Telaar." Hyara turned to look out the window at the cleft now bathed in early afternoon sunlight. From here she could see that some of the cliff's rocky ledges had been coated in a thin layer of soil and tilled into tiny vegetable and herb plots. This really was a peaceful place, and she would be sad to leave it.

Kereth nodded and sent a warning look at her husband, as if telling him not to pry any further. There was a sudden knock at the door; then Remta appeared and beckoned silently to his brother. Oloru stepped outside the house, but reappeared only a moment later.

"Hyara." He looked worried. "I believe your pursuer may have found you."

She jumped up in surprise. If it was true he'd tracked her then, not bolted off straight to Telaar. Her stomach flipped over in remorse as she realized the anxiety he must have known as he discovered piece by piece what had happened to her over the past night and half-day. She followed Oloru out the door.

Remta sat astride his elekk, leading a strange little caravan into the village. Galmak's timber wolf trailed behind the huge beast, followed by Hyara's own horse. Palla was trotting along to the side of Galmak's wolf, hackles raised and mouth open in a snarl. And Galmak…

Hyara shrieked. "What have you done to him!" Galmak was slumped limply in the wolf's saddle, his head down on the wolf's neck and his arms dangling lifelessly.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

zomg! I'll say it again... nice reviews make me happy!

:-D

* * *

Hyara dashed to her husband. "Galmak… Galmak!" she cried breathlessly, feeling for a pulse. His heart beat strongly under her fingertips and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"He hasn't been harmed," Oloru said at her side. "There's nothing to fear, it's only part of our warding magic. If anyone strays too close to us without dispelling the enchantments they fall into a deep sleep. We can then take them safely away where they'll awaken without having found us."

The huge Broken hefted Galmak gently out of the saddle and laid him on the ground. Hyara knelt at her husband's side and watched as green light wove from Oloru's fingers and surrounded Galmak briefly. The orc's eyelids snapped open and the first thing he saw was Hyara's beautiful face above him, filled with worry. His reaction was instant and instinctive, born out of tremendous relief. He reached up and pulled her head down, pressing her lips to his in a long, hard kiss. Thank the ancestors he'd…somehow… found her and she was safe. He released her and sat up, looking around in wary puzzlement.

Hyara was blushing deep blue under the gaze of the small group of Broken standing nearby. "I'm alright," she said embarrassedly and patted his hand. "You didn't need to worry."

"The hell I didn't need to worry, woman," Galmak growled. "I know every step of trouble you went through to get…here. Which is where, by the way?"

She smiled faintly. "That's not really my story to tell. I think I'd better let Oloru handle that. But we're safe here; there's no need to worry, love."

Galmak got to his feet and eyed the towering Broken, who gave a slight bow.

"I'm assuming you're the ones who got my wife away from the people who captured her on the road. Thank you for that, even if it did make my life hell trying to find her," Galmak said gruffly.

Oloru appeared not to take offense, speaking now to Galmak in flawless orcish. "You are welcome. And welcome among the Kanrethad."

"The Kanrethad?" Galmak asked, and Oloru explained as they walked back to the little house.

* * *

Sitting on a cushion next to Hyara, Galmak mulled over what Oloru and Kereth had told him. It was remarkable that these people had managed to live here undetected for so many years without even rumors of their presence.

"It may be that the Light and the elements have brought you two to us as an answer," Oloru said thoughtfully after a moment. Kereth looked at him questioningly and he continued. "We've waited for years hoping for an opportunity to contact the Mag'har and the Kurenai, but the time never seemed right. Perhaps now is the time." He looked at the orc and the draenei. "You can help us."

Galmak shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think I'm the right person for that. I… got off on the wrong foot with the Mag'har, I guess you could say. Frankly, they don't like draenei or Broken. One of their most respected leaders found out that I'm mated to a draenei and she as good as threw us out of Garadar."

"That's the reason I ran away," Hyara said quietly. "He came here to learn from his people and they rejected him because of me." She glared at him, but without any real anger. "He was supposed to go back to Garadar without me."

He just shook his head and laid a hand fondly on her leg.

"Always this hatred!" Kereth exclaimed. "They won't even listen to one of their own. What hope is there for us? Must we live here in secrecy forever until all memory of the Murkblood and their evil is gone?"

"Have patience, my love," Oloru soothed. "There are much worse places to spend generations."

"You know as well as I do that we don't have generations, Oloru," she said sadly. "None of us will ever have children. As if the Broken were not cursed enough. Our memory will die with us."

Hyara winced. That was one of her own fears. She wanted so much to have a child someday, but she didn't know if it was possible for her and Galmak. She looked over at him out of the corner of her eye; he was staring at the floor.

The orc cleared his throat. "What… what exactly did you have in mind to tell the Mag'har?"

"That we want to live in peace with them," said Oloru. "That we offer them friendship, and support against their enemies who are our enemies too, including those of our own tribe who have wronged them. We ask in return only those same things."

There was silence for a moment. Galmak looked over at Hyara and their eyes met. Finally he spoke. "I suppose we could give it a try. I can't promise anything, understand that. As I said, I'm not the most credible messenger."

Hyara smiled at her husband. "Surely there's no harm in trying."

Oloru's face broke into a grin, almost frightening for its size. "They will listen, or they will not. But at least we will try!"

* * *

The wind that evening brought a raven to Garadar. Greatmother Geyah's ancient eyes read its message three times before she passed the note to Garrosh Hellscream. The young orc skimmed it once, spat on the dirt floor, and threw the message into the fire.

"I see you have no interest in dealing with them," Geyah said dryly.

"I have every interest in slaughtering them until the grass is blue with their filthy blood!" Garrosh paced the room. "Now they have the gall to ask to _speak_ to us. After they've had their fill of our blood they want peace. Their souls can rot in hell while their heads rot on pikes at our gates!"

Geyah held her silence, watching as the young orc paced and fumed. The fire in the center of the room popped suddenly and the logs shifted, sending a flare of flames and sparks swirling higher toward the smoke hole. Garrosh started at the sudden noise, now aware of the silence in the room.

"Greatmother… you must agree? These Broken dogs have taken joy in massacring our people for years now." His voice held a bare trace of uncertainty.

"The Murkblood have, yes. That message" -Geyah gestured toward the fire- "was from the Kanrethad."

"And who are they?" Garrosh growled. "Some tribe of the bloody savages we've never heard of. And who is this Galmak, son of Lurigk of the Thunderlord Clan who asks us to listen to them? I had thought all the Thunderlords dead."

"He is an orc of Thrall's Horde," Geyah said thoughtfully. "Not all the Thunderlords are dead, clearly. Strange… a strange orc."

"Strange? And what does that mean, Greatmother? Strange, perhaps, that he takes up the cause of our enemies and asks us to parley with them?"

Geyah fell silent again, considering. The honest voice inside her had to admit that these Kanrethad shared similarities with her own Mag'har. If they spoke the truth, they too had splintered away from the depraved remnant of their own people and created a new existence for themselves out of what little they had left. They too lived in fear of their numerous enemies. As for this Galmak… it was an odd situation. Had this been his intention all along while he was here? Had he come to Garadar to seek peace between the Mag'har and the Broken draenei? Love did strange things, she well knew.

"I must speak with Zarguhl," the Greatmother said.

"Zarguhl?" Garrosh said, puzzled. "What has he to do with any of this?"

"Zarguhl knows this Galmak, son of Lurigk. It may be that he can tell us something useful."

* * *

Zarguhl bowed low. "Greatmother. You honor me."

She touched a hand to his head in blessing and he rose.

"I need you to tell me all that you know about Galmak, son of Lurigk," Geyah said.

Zarguhl's eyebrows rose. "Of course, Greatmother. I thought he'd left Garadar. Why-" He broke off abashedly.

A faint smile curled Geyah's lips. "He did leave, my son. Tell me what you know of him."

When the Greatmother needed information she would get it, even out of one so untalkative as Zarguhl. He told her, beginning with their meeting in Zangarmarsh and ending with Galmak's last day in Garadar.

"He wouldn't tell me exactly why he was leaving. I gathered it had something to do with Hyara. Not surprising," he finished with a grunt.

The Greatmother nodded, staring with narrowed eyes into the fire. "Yes. Perhaps I was… harsh. But I felt it was strange and unnatural for him to mate with a draenei. Go'el's orcs have traveled far from their origins in so short a time."

Zarguhl shifted uneasily, then seemed to make up his mind. "Greatmother, I once thought as you do. I didn't at first know the truth of their relationship, but I was disgusted that he would choose a draenei to use in such a way. But I've seen them together for some time now. I've seen them together in battle. They fight fearlessly; they fight as one, like true mates. Their hearts are one."

Geyah's eyes pierced his and held him frozen. "And you believe Galmak is true of heart, that he means no harm in anything he does."

"I would never have asked him here in friendship and brotherhood if I believed otherwise, Greatmother."

She nodded. "Thank you, my son." As Zarguhl left she turned her eyes to Garrosh, who sat silent and brooding.

The male orc grimaced. "He means what he says. I've heard him say less in the course of an entire year than all he said just now."

Geyah laughed softly. "Yes. He trusts Galmak, son of Lurigk… and I am inclined to as well. I sensed no duplicity in Galmak beyond the superficial lie about his true relationship to that she-draenei. To ask this of us, he must truly believe these Broken mean us no harm and wish to make peace with us."

Garrosh snorted dismissively. "He may believe that, but do we believe that. They are Broken. No good can come of putting any trust in those curs."

"You may be right, Garrosh, though I hope you are not. We will meet them. We will see what they say. If in the end all they have to say is bloodshed and lies, we will pay them back in kind, tenfold. But if they speak of peace and help against our enemies, and they prove true… then we may find that our lives will be easier here and less sorrowful."

"It does not trouble you that they openly admit to desiring friendship with the Alliance also?"

"It would trouble me more if they did not admit it, but sought it behind our backs. I believe their honesty may bode well."

* * *

The raven returned in the night. Its message brought a smile of triumph to Oloru's face.

"Thank the elemental spirits… they've agreed," he sighed. Another message was prepared; the time and place of the meeting was acceptable. The Kanrethad would at last have a chance to make themselves heard.

* * *

As the second raven winged its way from Karkun Kamil it was joined in flight by another bird of sorts. This bird had feathers only at one end of a long, slim body. Its beak glinted steely sharp in the starlight and nosed its way into the raven's breast with an explosion of feathers. The raven plummeted; a hand found the message, eyes took in the meaning. Two days hence. Fools. They had made their move at last and they had made their mistake.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

-----

* * *

Their tiny delegation left the next day after receiving the reply from Garadar: Oloru, his brother Remta, Galmak, and Hyara wound their way up out of the canyon. The rays of the rising sun met them just as they reached the top and struck out for the road across Nagrand's tree-scattered plains. Oloru and Remta carefully unwove and rewove the concealing enchantments around the group as they went, their hearts full of the hope that this secrecy might soon be unnecessary.

Hyara, however, had her doubts about whether she should actually be at this meeting. She had after all been a source of conflict and tension in Garadar. She was worried that her presence would only serve as a reminder of Galmak's awkward start at earning the Mag'har's trust. Nevertheless, she had to admit that her doubts didn't really matter. When it came down to it, nothing was going to keep her from Galmak's side in a potentially dangerous situation.

They camped for the night only a short distance away from the meeting spot, not far from Garadar. The night was cool; the wind carried the scent of grass and a vague hint of sweetness that might have been some night-blooming flower. Hyara huddled against Galmak as they sat around the fire and shivered a little as the breeze plucked at her clothing.

"I wonder if I may ask a question," Oloru said suddenly from the other side of the fire. Hyara nodded and he continued politely, somewhat hesitantly. "I am curious how a draenei and an orc came to be together."

Hyara smiled. "He saved my life. I've come to believe that it was the will of the Light that we be together." Galmak gave her a squeeze.

"Ah," Oloru nodded and smiled. "That I understand very well. Kereth saved my life during our slavery. It all seemed very clear after that that we were intended for each other."

"Those were dark days," Remta said. His white hair and ghost-pale skin seemed to glow in the firelight. "Anyone who could find any joy during that time was fortunate indeed."

Galmak stirred the fire absently. "It's always a wondrous thing when the greatest joy of your life rises out of something you thought was the worst hell imaginable."

-----

They woke at sunrise and traveled the remaining short distance to the meeting spot in a field south of Garadar. At Galmak's advice Oloru had suggested that Geyah name a spot near the village. The reason of course was that her fragile health wouldn't allow her to travel far, and it would appear as a gesture of faith that the Kanrethad were willing to come close to the stronghold of the orcs. Oloru had agreed readily. He seemed to have no fear of betrayal by the Mag'har.

They sat in the high grass to wait, but they didn't have long before the sound of wolves and riders in the distance carried to them on the wind.

"Everyone stand," Galmak said immediately. "They need to see us clearly from a good distance off."

The riders stopped a hundred yards away and Galmak recognized Garrosh Hellscream as he leapt off the back of a black worg and landed with a crunch of boots and a grate of armor. He unsheathed an axe at his belt and hurled it, embedding it deep in the dirt at his feet.

"You wish to speak, Broken? Then speak!" Garrosh yelled, and walked back among the other four riders in the party to where Geyah still sat her worg. He helped her dismount with surprisingly gentle hands and she walked to the forefront of the party.

Oloru approached slowly, his empty hands held slightly away from his grey robes. Remta followed closely behind with Galmak at his side. Hyara hung back further, feeling more awkward than ever. There was a jumpiness tickling at the back of her mind. None of them was armed; they had decided it best that all weapons be left some distance away with their mounts. Hyara felt a renewed flutter of fear and unease as she eyed the remaining axe on Garrosh's belt; every member of the Garadar party was fully armed and armored.

"You are Oloru," Geyah said to the Broken. It was a statement rather than a question.

Oloru bowed. "Greatmother Geyah, I thank you for this meeting. My people have prayed for years that this day would come. We are blessed that the spirits brought us this opportunity."

"Brought you this opportunity… in the form of this one?" She gestured to Galmak, who bowed respectfully. "I can only assume that is what you mean."

"Yes, Greatmother," Oloru nodded. "He was our unlooked-for answer."

Geyah narrowed her eyes, peering sharply up at the towering Broken. "Unlooked-for?"

Oloru smiled. "I believe the elements guided his path – and his wife's path- to cross with ours. It was a meeting of fate and we asked him to help us contact you. The promise of peace means a great deal to us who have lived in fear for so long."

"And you wish to make such a promise, you claim."

"We do. The Kanrethad have no singular leader in the way that you lead your people, but I am authorized to speak for us all. We wish to offer you our friendship and our help against mutual enemies when you have need of it, and our village as a sanctuary for any of your people when it is necessary."

"A very generous offer," Geyah said, crossing her arms. "And what is it that we must offer in return?"

"We wish only for the same: your friendship, and reasonable help against enemies who directly threaten us. Our enemies are numerous here, just as yours are. We differ only in one respect: we do not wish to make enemies of the Alliance or Velen's draenei. There we stand firm."

Garrosh glared next to Geyah. "Then there you are wrong. The Alliance kills Mag'har; Velen's precious trained clefthoofs kill Mag'har. They spill our blood just as your brothers at Sunspring Post spill our blood!"

A look of pain crossed Oloru's face. "The Murkblood kill my people as well. We have not been part of them for many years, since we fled slavery in Zangarmarsh."

Remta spoke quietly at Oloru's side. "My brother does not wish to mention that the Mag'har have killed many of the Kanrethad over the years, seeing no difference between us and the Murkblood. But I say it should be mentioned. We still seek peace with you despite this. The misunderstandings between us must stop."

Hyara's stomach was jittering unpleasantly and the growing warmth of the day seemed suddenly almost unbearable. Galmak's head turned slightly to the east, his face lifted as if scenting the wind. Hyara realized abruptly that her nervousness had no origin within herself; it was trickling in faintly but steadily from Gink's sense somewhere to the south. She frowned minutely and swallowed.

"Something…" Hyara swallowed again as orcish and Broken eyes turned to her in surprise at the interruption. "Something isn't right."

Galmak frowned and Hyara could tell he was communicating with Palla somewhere, invisible in the high grass or far enough away as to be out of sight. Gink seemed far himself, and Hyara wondered why he'd strayed so far that their bond seemed strained. Geyah and Garrosh were both staring at her and she opened her mouth to give some explanation; or rather explain that she didn't know what she meant, when…

A sudden gust of wind shivered the grass, blowing from the south. Oloru moved almost too fast to follow, lunging at Geyah where she stood a few yards in front of him. Garrosh roared, and in a blur of glinting steel he ripped the axe out of his belt and flung it at the huge Broken. Remta sprang at Garrosh and the orc went down. It all happened before the scream had died from Hyara's lips. Galmak stood in shock for a split instant longer before he hurled himself at Hyara, bearing her aside and to the ground just as the three Garadar wolfriders charged suddenly across the field to the south. Hyara's eyes followed them and saw in horror that Broken, at least a half dozen of them, were rising from the grass and fleeing the oncoming wolves. A few of them turned to fire off wild shots as they fled.

"What the fuck," Galmak panted. He and Hyara pushed themselves up. Geyah was kneeling on the ground beside Oloru. Her long grey hair was disheveled but her eyes were surprisingly calm. Garrosh was also crouched nearby, his knee pressed to Remta's neck. The Broken stared up at the sky.

"My brother," Remta rasped. "I must see my brother. Is he alive?"

Garrosh snarled and jabbed his knee harder into the Broken's throat. "Ancestors willing, that dog is dead." He cursed luridly. "You treacherous shit, you asked us here to murder us!"

"He is dead," Geyah said. Cobalt blood soaked the grass in a widening pool around Oloru's body. Garrosh's axe was lodged deep in his stomach, holding open a long rent. Hyara looked away and retched. Garrosh's head jerked around to stare at her, as if suddenly reminded that she was there. He flew at her in a mad rage, grabbing her by the horns and shaking her off her hooves.

"Your kind would try to murder the Greatmother, you filthy little bitch!" he howled. Galmak hit him like a charging bull in the stomach and Garrosh released her, rounding now on the green orc.

"Enough," Geyah said with deadly calm. She rose. Her aura crackled with unmistakable power. Garrosh wavered; then with a visible effort he contained his fury. The red glow faded from Galmak's eyes and he knelt and put his arms around Hyara.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"I am for now," she replied. He knew exactly what she meant. There would be a reckoning for whatever had just happened.

"Garrosh, what do you see here?" Geyah said. She gestured toward Oloru's body.

The young orc spat. "I see my axe in the belly of a lying, silver-tongued enemy."

Geyah merely stood looking at him, and he moved over to examine the body more closely. He grunted suddenly in surprise and Geyah nodded. "Yes," she said. "You also see an arrow buried deep in his back." Her eyes rested now on Remta. The other Broken was sitting on the ground, still as well water, his eyes closed. His cheeks glistened moistly.

The wolfriders were returning now. Hyara looked away when she saw that they dragged behind them several Broken corpses.

"There may be more to this than we know," Geyah said thoughtfully. She raised her voice to the riders. "For now, bind these two and that one." She gestured to Hyara, Galmak, and Remta. "Gather up this body carefully and bring it with us."

_Hyara?_ Gink was suddenly in her mind.

She was angry and didn't try to hide it. Things might have happened differently if he'd been close. _Where were you?_

Her cat was clearly ashamed. _We… I was fooled. I followed a false trail. They must have known Palla and I would be a problem._

_Well, can you help out now? Did you at least figure out who they were? I won't believe they were Kanrethad._

_They weren't. They were Murkblood, from somewhere south and west of here._

Murkblood, of course, come to ruin their kin's bid for peace with an assassination attempt against the Mag'har's leaders. Hyara felt angry tears running down her cheeks. Oloru had died for this. Everything he'd wanted for his people had died before his body hit the ground. _Oh Light, Kereth_…

One of the Garadar raiders dragged her roughly away from Galmak and lashed her wrists together above her tail. Galmak and Remta were treated no better; only sharp words from Geyah prevented a raider from kicking viciously at the Broken when he was slow to rise. Hyara let her tears fall freely as they sped back toward Garadar. She cried for Oloru and the Kanrethad, but she also cried for Galmak: bound, disgraced, and accused of treachery against his own people.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Final chapter! The next story is Light and Gray.

* * *

They were all thrown into a cell together, which Hyara chose to believe was a hopeful sign. Surely they would have been separated if the Mag'har intended to hold them for long.

"Or they mean to kill us quickly," Galmak said with a cold laugh.

Remta hadn't spoken a word since the incident. Now he crouched motionless in one corner of the small cell, his eyes closed and his face stony. Hyara stood with her forehead pressed to the iron bars, staring at the dull brown clay wall in front of her. If she turned her head she could see out the open doorway of the little round hut where the afternoon sunshine soaked the dirt street. Sounds of normality drifted mockingly inside. Hyara squeezed her eyes shut. She and Remta were worse than nothing here; the natural order of things in Nagrand dictated that they be in this cell. But Galmak should not be here with them. He should have been welcome in Garadar, he should never have been at odds with these people. And yet here he waited for judgment.

Arms slipped around her waist and Galmak pulled her back against him. "Hyara… I know what you're thinking. I know what it means when your tail gets going like that."

She sighed and shook her head. "Promise me something?"

"What, love?"

"If they insist on staying blind to the truth tell them you didn't know anything about it. Tell them I lied to you right along with the Kanrethad. They might buy it; they hate me anyway. Evil draenei temptress beguiles poor, innocent, well-meaning orc?"

Galmak chuckled grimly. "I'll do no such thing. They'll just have to see the truth." He took a deep breath, inhaling the grimy scent of her hair that was somehow the most wonderful thing he'd ever smelled. He smiled sadly. What a life they lived. "You… hmm. You tried to warn everyone, didn't you? I forgot about that, everything happened so quickly afterward."

"Oh. That's right… I said that something didn't feel right, didn't I? I hadn't remembered either."

"So, see? They'll remember that. They'll put things together."

"They had better put things together," Remta said suddenly from the corner. "My brother died for this peace. I will not see him die to no purpose." He rose and came to stand beside them. He wasn't as tall as his brother, but Hyara still had to look up to meet his softly glowing eyes.

Hesitantly, Hyara grasped his hand. He didn't recoil but stood looking down at her impassively.

"Remta…" she started, but everything she'd meant to say seemed inadequate or trite. He merely nodded and gave her hand a brief squeeze before dropping it.

"His spirit has moved on from this world," the Broken said. "He died honorably, in defense of another, which is what he would have wanted. I am not my brother, but I may still be able to salvage a resolution from all this if only they will see the truth."

"They will," Hyara nodded. "There's no other interpretation of the facts. They'll see."

Galmak frowned thoughtfully. "The thing is though… how did the Murkblood learn about the meeting?"

* * *

A few days passed, plenty of time to put them all on edge. Why had the Mag'har done nothing yet? It was mid-afternoon and hot inside their little hut; flies buzzed irritatingly in the still air. Galmak was snoozing in a corner. Hyara rubbed her forehead against the cool bars at the front of the cell where she could catch an occasional puff of air wafting in from the street. She looked back at her husband and considered joining him in a nap; there was nothing else to do, no point in sitting here wishing for news of their fate.

Sudden voices carried from outside and Hyara strained her ears to catch any fragments of conversation. It sounded like the guards were talking to someone. In the other corner Remta stirred from his meditation and opened one eye. Hyara sprang up as someone appeared in the doorway.

"Zarguhl!" she said in surprise. Galmak started awake and rubbed his eyes; Remta stood and examined the newcomer suspiciously.

"I haven't been allowed to come here until now. Sorry," the Mag'har said.

"At least you're not in here with us," Galmak sighed. "I'm sorry, Zarguhl. I've… dishonored you. You must regret ever asking me here."

Zarguhl's face twisted in a ferocious frown. "You haven't dishonored me. Shut up about that. I don't doubt your honor or your intentions here. Or Hyara's. I came to let you know that the Greatmother has sent away for a representative from the Horde; that's what she's been waiting on. They're going to hold your, uh… hearing… tomorrow."

Well, at least now they knew. But…

"A representative from the Horde?" Galmak glanced apprehensively at Hyara. It made sense, of course; any new alliances the Mag'har entered concerned the Horde as well. But that could get dicey for him and Hyara. Would Geyah keep their secret? Could she keep it, even if she intended to? Then again, maybe it didn't matter, Galmak thought. His stomach lurched with renewed worry. They would have bigger problems to deal with if the Horde decided they were all guilty of betraying the Mag'har.

"He's arriving later today or tomorrow," Zarguhl answered. Outside, a guard shouted something. "Keep your bloody shirt on, I'll be out in a minute!" Zarguhl roared back, and the guard laughed. The Mag'har grasped Galmak's hand in a firm shake. "Trust the Greatmother. She's bound to know what's right." He gave Hyara one of his rare small smiles, nodded curtly to Remta, and was gone.

Only Remta slept very well that night, his even, meditative breathing playing soft counterpoint to the nervous thoughts pounding in Hyara's head.

* * *

A grey drizzle was falling the next day as they were herded out of their prison. The air smelled of rich, churned mud and the water cooled their skin after the stifling heat of the past few days in the cramped hut. Their hands were bound again for the short march through the streets to Geyah's hut, but once they arrived they were escorted inside and cut lose at Geyah's direction. She sat much as she had the last time Hyara and Galmak had been here, wrapped in blankets to keep away the damp chill. Garrosh stood at her right, his narrowed eyes following them like a hawk tracking a rabbit as they entered the room. To her other side was a grizzled tauren. He tossed his grey mane, rattling his metal-studded leather armor, and lounged casually on a stool. His eyes glittered in the light from the central fire pit as he examined the three who were the object of this inquiry. To Hyara's surprise, Zarguhl slipped in a moment later and went to stand silently at the back of the room near the few guards who remained, his arms crossed and head slightly bowed.

Despite the softness of Geyah's voice, every word was clearly discernable when she spoke. "Three days ago we attended a meeting at the request of the Kanrethad. We were to negotiate peace between our peoples at this meeting. Five of us in this room witnessed the events that ensued. Bernkh Bluefeather, ambassador of the Horde, has been told all that happened there. Nevertheless, it is his right to inquire for himself, since the Horde must also make a decision in this matter." She nodded toward Bernkh.

The tauren leaned forward and his eyes roved over them for a few seconds before resting on Remta. "It was your brother, I understand, who made the original offers of peace. Your brother is dead now. What do you believe killed him?"

Hyara saw Remta's nostrils flare ever so slightly and his already pale face went a shade lighter. But his voice came out calm and impassive. "My brother Oloru died by the arrow of one of our own kind, one of our many enemies in this world. He died unarmed but not helpless, because he chose to protect the life of another with his own."

Bernkh nodded slowly and exchanged a look with Geyah. "The Horde does not lightly take on new allies, Broken," the tauren said. "We too have many enemies. We know what it's like to defend ourselves and those we love from the scum around us. And we don't accept into our ranks those who can give nothing back." He glared.

Remta's eyes narrowed. "I think you misunderstand our intention. We have no wish to join the Horde. We wish to make peace with you. Surely the Greatmother made you aware of the distinction? We will continue on our own, give aid when it is needed, ask for aid when it is needed. We will not fight you, you will not fight us."

"You want simple non-aggression," Bernkh snorted.

"No. We want friendship. Perhaps you missed the part about giving aid? I believe Greatmother Geyah understands this. Outland is a different place from Azeroth."

Hyara was immensely relieved that this was sounding less like a hearing and more like a negotiation, but nevertheless she winced a little. Hopefully Remta wouldn't prod too hard and anger this Horde representative… but then, he also had to be sure before he agreed to anything; his people's future was at stake. He needed to know now before anything was decided if the Horde was going to make trouble.

Bernkh crossed his brown-furred arms and glared. "You think I know nothing of Outland? Thrall ordered me here when the Portal reopened and I've been here ever since, fighting all the shit this place can throw at me. Including Broken. Including draenei." He jerked his muzzle toward Hyara. "You want friendship with the Alliance too? It sounds to me as though you want it all ways. You may find you just can't have that." He spat.

Geyah's eyes moved from Remta's stony face to look at the tauren, who glanced at her. He seemed suddenly disconcerted under her gaze. "I think it is possible, Bernkh, that you may not entirely understand why they seek peace with both the Horde and the Alliance. But we Mag'har do. There is no need to create enemies where they do not exist. The Alliance is no enemy of the Kanrethad. We…were an enemy. They seek peace with an enemy. Is that wrong?"

The tauren snorted again and tossed his horns, but didn't answer. Instead he said, "There is still a missing piece in this puzzle. How did the Murkblood learn of your meeting?"

Garrosh stirred for the first time. "Either someone told them or they found out on their own."

"For the sake of maintaining our… newfound trust in one another, let us assume they discovered it on their own," Geyah said with a sigh. "We may never know. What is important is that it was our mutual enemies who ambushed us and gave us a tragic reminder of why we must make this peace."

Galmak hesitated, but decided it might be worth asking. "Greatmother… did you get the second message we sent you?"

She frowned. "Second message? Your raven brought us one message, asking for the meeting and giving a summary of what you asked."

Galmak sighed. "We sent another message after we got your answer. Confirming that we'd be there."

There was silence for a moment; then Geyah shook her head sadly. "A single misstep… and all is nearly lost."

"Done is done," Remta said, but his hands trembled at his sides.

Geyah rose and held her bony brown hands toward the fire. "The Mag'har accept the friendship of the Kanrethad. We agree to your terms of peace and assistance against mutual enemies."

A smile split the solemnity of Remta's face and he bowed low before Greatmother Geyah. "The Kanrethad are glad to accept the friendship of the Mag'har, Greatmother. May we have many years of peace ahead of us."

Hyara's hand found Galmak's and she squeezed it tightly. He smiled and gave her tail a discreet tug.

"Alright. We'll support our allies in this," Bernkh grunted. "The Horde also pledges friendship with the Kanrethad. We will defer to the Mag'har's superior understanding of politics in Outland and accept your decision in this matter, Greatmother." The tauren dared to give her a slight glare. Geyah merely smiled thinly and nodded.

"However." Bernkh rose. "There is still the problem with this one." A huge hand gestured toward Galmak, and the orc felt his stomach sink. The tauren's deep voice rumbled louder with each word. "Galmak, son of Lurigk, subject of the Warchief Thrall and citizen of the Horde, you have been harboring an enemy in our midst. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Of course Geyah wouldn't have lied to the Horde, especially not for one such as himself. Galmak eyed the tauren defiantly. "My wife is no enemy to us. In two years has she made one move against the Horde? Has she ever hurt anyone or caused trouble?"

Hyara squeezed her husband's hand again, trying to convey any support she could. She'd always dreaded this day would come, but she'd hoped that somehow it never would.

"She is Alliance!" Bernkh said, outraged. "She's an enemy, and you've been parading her through our settlements, through our military outposts! She's… she's been spying on us!" he spat. Then what Galmak had said seemed to sink in. "Two years!" he roared. "This has been going on for two years! A spy among us for two years, and at your invitation. Irresponsible, reckless, traitorous behavior! Thrall will hear of this, I promise you!"

"Then let Thrall hear of it!" Hyara's eyes flashed. For better or worse, she couldn't bear to hear Galmak maligned by this arrogant tauren. "But also let him hear of my husband's bravery and his devotion to his people. Let Thrall hear how unselfish and honorable my husband is. Anything wrong you believe I've done, I'll take punishment for. But don't you dare say that Galmak could ever have any part in it! No one could ever hope to know a better man. I'm lucky I realized that when we met," she finished softly.

Galmak chuckled quietly and put his arms around her. "You're rarely lost for words, are you, love?" he whispered. She smiled ruefully.

A smile creased Geyah's face and she caught Zarguhl's eye across the room. She laughed softly as he shrugged and grinned.

Bernkh tossed his great shaggy head and seemed to recover from Hyara's unexpected outburst. "What you say about Galmak may be true," he growled. "But this is an arrangement that cannot continue. I know the Warchief would agree with me. A member of the Alliance is not welcome in any Horde settlement, and you can be sure I will make this known as far and wide as I can."

Yes, she'd known this could happen at any time. They couldn't skate such thin ice forever and suffer no consequences. And she'd never had any solution. She could never join the Horde, abandoning her family and becoming an enemy of Velen and her own people. She couldn't, and never would, ask that of Galmak either. But now… now there was another way. Hyara gave Galmak a long, tender kiss, and it was his turn to look a little embarrassed. She pulled away and he sighed.

"Hyara, I don't know-" he started.

"Shh." She smiled and walked to where Remta stood. She knelt in front of the Broken. "Remta, if you'll have me, I would renounce my allegiance to the Alliance and swear my loyalty to the Kanrethad. I will serve your people in any way I can to the best of my ability."

The Broken looked stunned for a moment but then a slow smile spread across his face. He placed a hand gently on her head. "Hyara of Velen's people, formerly of the Alliance, I accept your oath of loyalty. The Kanrethad welcome you as a sister."

Galmak was gaping in astonishment as she rose and turned back to him. Hyara put a finger under his chin and closed his mouth. She turned to face Bernkh. "Is there a problem now?" she said, glaring defiantly at the tauren.

He cleared his throat and glanced between Remta and Geyah. "I… suppose not," the tauren replied.

* * *

Yesterday's rain had washed the air clean. The long grass steamed in the sun and the earth exhaled the scent of growth. The procession that wound its way across Nagrand's plains back to Karkun Kamil was larger by far than the one that had started out from there days ago. Remta, Hyara, and Galmak now rode in the company of the Kanrethad's new Mag'har and Horde allies, Zarguhl among them. They brought joy to the Kanrethad, but sadness as well; Oloru's body would be given a hero's rest in the village.

Hyara sighed, and Galmak reached over and took her hand. "What's wrong, love?" he asked.

"He couldn't have realized he'd be leaving Kereth forever," Hyara said sadly.

"He must have known of the possibility, love," Galmak said gently. "We all knew it would be dangerous."

"That won't make it any easier for her." Hyara squinted up at the noonday sun that washed the nether out of Nagrand's sky. "It's almost… normal here, isn't it?" She smiled suddenly, remembering her first glimpse of Outland at the Dark Portal.

Galmak laughed. "Almost. Reminds me a little of the Barrens."

The enchantments were lifted, the need for secrecy gone, and the way to Karkun Kamil lay clear in the sunlight. Hyara smiled. She was free; Galmak was free. And she had an oath of loyalty to begin fulfilling.

* * *


End file.
